Tyler Kozik, of Westfield, holds his niece Mya, during a Welcome Home Ceremony at the 104th Fighter Wing where 213 service men and women were reunited with family and friends yesterday. (Photo by chief photographer Frederick Gore)
WESTFIELD – Hundreds of people gathered at the 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes Air National Guard Base yesterday to give a well-deserved homecoming to nearly 250 guard members.
The 104th has been deployed to an undisclosed location overseas since March.
Master Sgt. Robert Oleksak is, unfortunately, no stranger to being away from his family for months at a time.
A full-time member of the 104th Fighter Wing, Oleksak has been deployed at least five times. For Oleksak, this deployment was tough, but being able to talk regularly to his wife Tracy and his children back home in Westfield via Skype and cell phones, text and email, helped.
“It made it so much easier to be able to talk to the kids,” Oleksak said, “Especially at holidays and birthdays. I was even able to Skype during my sister’s 50th birthday party.”
Although Tracy said her weekly Friday afternoon “Skype dates” were what kept her going the past few months, this deployment was harder than the two previous deployments since they were married.
“I was pregnant for the first one, then had an infant and a toddler the second time,” she said. “Now that the kids are older (12 and 10) and had more activities, I really missed talking to him and having him around,” said Tracy. “I definitely appreciate him more.”
Their son JT, 10, said he was “really excited” his dad was home and couldn’t wait to just hang out and play Xbox with him.
“Yeah, I have some videogames to catch up on with my son,” joked Oleksak.
While being away from home can be difficult, Oleksak said it is also part of his job, which he loves.
“It was a good mission,” he said. “I love what I do.”
Oleksak, who works in the 104th’s fabrication division, said he was happy to be with his family.
“I just want to have a hamburger in my backyard and a cold beer,” said Oleksak.
Little did he know, Tracy planned ahead to have family waiting for them at home to do just that.
The Airmen were deployed to an undisclosed location earlier this spring, tasked to provide airspace theater security to the Central Command Area of Responsibility (CENTCOM) through employment of F-15C/D fighter aircraft. Over 250 Airmen supported this deployment, providing maintenance and logistical support, allowing the pilots to complete more than 632 sorties, accumulating 1,000 flight hours. While overseas, many unit members were forward deployed to Jordan, where they participated in a large scale military exercise called EAGER LION 2012. This exercise included over 12,000 members from 15 allied nations.
“This deployment was one of the first for the unit since the F-15 conversion” said Col James Keefe, acting 104th Fighter Wing Commander. “I am very proud of the members of this incredible unit. They represented the Guard and the Air Force extremely well.”
Tabitha Benedict’s husband Trey, a captain and pilot with the 104th, said the deployment was hard on her because they have young children and are far away from family.
“We moved here from New Orleans in 2010,” said Benedict. “So I had to assume all the roles without any family around, but I really appreciate all the support we received from our friends at the 104th and our neighbors.”
Benedict, who works at the Greater Westfield YMCA, said she continued to work and care for her children while Trey was deployed and, as she said she almost expected, there were things that broke and she had to figure out how to fix them.
“I had to mow the lawn, tear down some trees, work, take care of kids and go through some end of school things – it was a busy time,” said Benedict, adding that she was proud of her husband.
Westfield resident Joseph Wynn was happy to be on American soil.
After landing, Wynn exited the A-330 aircraft named “Ryan” and searched the crowd for his wife, Laurel.
“I was only gone 45 days, but it’s good to be back,” said Wynn.
After a reunion hug and kiss, Laurel said she was happy to have him back.
“It seemed like a long time, but I know they were doing good work,” she said. “I’m just happy to have him home safe.”
One Airman said while he could not divulge the exact location of the deployment, the guard was somewhere in southwest Asia. Several guard members said it was a long, hot couple of months.
“It was hot,” said Tyler Kozik, an E-5, of Westfield. “This feels like a cool breeze,” he said of the air inside the base hangar where family and friends waited for the Wing’s return.
A traditional guardsman, Kozik works full-time at Prolamina and said it was “awesome” to be home. He was greeted by his brother, sister-in-law, sister, and niece Mya who was just a few weeks old when he deployed.
Kozik said what he looked forward to doing first was pretty simple: “I want to take off my boots.”
A hot shower and a good night’s sleep in his own bed were also on his to-do list.
This deployment is the largest since 2003 at the beginning of the Operation ENDURING and IRAQI FREEDOM, and the first operational deployment of the unit’s new F-15 aircraft following the completed conversion in 2010. The unit has averaged upward of 90 members deployed each year since 2003, but often they are deployed in support units of two to five members, deploying to various locations augmenting the active duty force.
“While deployed, the unit attained a mission capability rate, nearly 5 percent higher than the active-duty standard, with no safety or maintenance related cancelations, which is virtually unheard of, said Maj. Gen. L. Scott Rice, Massachusetts Adjutant General (Acting). “The proven experience of the 104th’s leadership team – both officer and enlisted – and the hard work of all aircraft maintenance personnel demonstrated the capability of the Air National Guard and is truly commendable. I’m honored to lead such a fine group of Airmen.”
Keefe thanked family members for giving the 104th such a great homecoming, but said once the summer is over, things would be heating up on base.
‘We are having our biggest, most important inspection coming up in a year and a half and we will be very busy,” he said.
